Owner`s manual

149
SIXTEEN WAYS
TO REDUCE
FUEL CONSUMPTION
1. Keep the bottom of your yacht clean. A
fouled bottom can increase drag up to 10%
or more. A 10% increase in drag is equiva-
lent to a 10% increase in fuel consump-
tion.
2. DO NOT idle your engines needlessly.
Depart your dock/mooring after warm-up.
3. Watch your trim. A well balanced yacht
gets on plane faster, handles better and
runs with less surface contact.
4. Navigate better. By plotting courses to
your destination instead of just waiting for
them to appear somewhere in front of you,
you can eliminate miles off of your dis-
tance and gallons off of your fuel con-
sumption.
5. Know your fuel consumption. By plot-
ting a fuel consumption/RPM curve for
your yacht, you will probably find that
reducing your engines’ RPM’s 10% can
often reduce your fuel consumption 30%
with only a slight reduction in speed.
6. Remove extra weight. If you are not
going to use it, do not carry it aboard. Any
extra weight requires more fuel to move
your yacht. Do not just stop at the lockers.
Remember that water weighs 64 pounds
per cubic foot, so keep the bilge areas dry.
7. Improve your yacht handling ability. DO
NOT let the yacht labor along below a
planing attitude. This is the absolute peak
of fuel waste.
8. Purchase good quality fuel. Be certain
you are using the correct fuel for your
engine.
9. Load your yacht correctly. DO NOT put
all of the heavy gear, such as anchors,
chain, canned goods and spare parts
exclusively in either the bow or stern.
Heavy items should be placed amidships
where they will not affect the trim and
plane of the yacht.
10.Check the drive train. An inboard en-
gine that is improperly aligned can cost
you money. Check to see if the transmis-
sion has sufficient fluid(too little increases
friction), if the stuffing box is too
tight(increases the load on the engine) or if
a bent rudder or propeller are robbing you
of economy. Be certain the rudders are
properly aligned.
11.Check the engine cylinder compres-
sion. Low compression indicates worn
piston rings or valves which will consume
oil and reduce engine power.
12.Check the engine idle speed. For the
times it is necessary to operate at idle
speed, be certain the engine is not running
too fast and using unnecessary fuel.
13.Check the engine operating tempera-
ture. Compare your normal operating
temperature with the range specified in the
Engine Manual and in this Owner’s
Manual. An overheating engine will cause
excessive wear and will be less efficient.
14.Keep the engine and transmission oil
clean. Dirty oil causes varnish to form on
the moving surfaces of the engine/trans-
mission. Varnish can cut into the piston
ring seal and contribute to fuel waste.
Varnish will cause the transmission to
“slip”.